Pregnancy Loss and Miscarriage

Recently I have been consulted to write a chapter for a book on Fertility, Pregnancy Loss and Miscarriage and as I was reviewing my patient files I became aware of how many of my women have had a previous history of miscarriage.  Not just one but even three.  Miscarriage typically occurs before 13 weeks.  Often women will miscarry early as in week 5 or 6 with no heartbeat, others will get a heartbeat at 6 or 7 weeks and then by 9, no heartbeat and they will begin spotting to eventually getting their period.   I see so many at 9 weeks; the woman is delighted to have gotten the ultrasound heartbeat, it was good and strong, only to find out by 9 weeks there is no heartbeat or she will begin spotting or bleeding.  Devastating to say the least.   Most of the women receiving acupuncture after they had a prior history of miscarriage do not miscarry again.  However, if they have never gotten pregnant but they do conceive after receiving several weeks of acupuncture and then miscarry it is a sign their Qi or Blood was not quite strong enough yet, but they did conceive and that is the key.   Now, it is essential they maintain their treatments for the first 12 weeks especially with a history of miscarriage, because the likelihood is always greater with a previous history whether it be miscarriage or any of the list of adverse events that can occur during Pregnancy, this is also true for those with the tendency toward Preterm labor (anything after 20 weeks but before 37 weeks).  Acupuncture helps to contain the QI, calm the fetus, quiet the spirit of the mother and support the spleen whose role it is to transport and transform the food we eat so our blood and yin our nourished better, this is why it helps with miscarriage.

Chapter 8 of the Ling Shu Says:  "According to the principle of acupuncture, one must examine the patient first and then treat according to the conditions of his spiritual activities."  Chinese Classics say that the superior doctor treats spirit first.

Grace and its Wisdom to Trust our Inner Guidance

All unfulfilled desires and hardships such as infertility, illness, loss of any kind brings us deep sorrow and to the depths of our being but when we can bring the peace to these moments, grace will fill our hearts with love and open doors we never thought possible. It is then each cell in our body electrifies with life. When you feel the "peace that passeth all understanding" then you know a deeper knowing, a trust that there is no need to figure out what to do or how to do it, it just presents itself because we have been enlightened from within, we can see clearly again. God, Spirit whatever you deem fit shows us the way. Each and everyone of us is guided from within, without seeking outwardly, the way presents itself. Pain, sorrow, fear are not comfortable but they help us grow. They become portals into our deeper wisdom, our connection to God and our spiritual self. If we are afraid to go deeper into our own emotions they can often dominate us, scare us but when we see them as an awareness into our body and our deeper selves or what our spirit longs for, or is trying to teach us, then this awareness as an observer transforms our whole being and our outlook. From this place of awareness, it is easier to open up to what is, to accept the moment as it is. Then there is no more struggle from within and so without, which brings us back to Grace. I embrace all my women and men I work with, with love and goodness and peace but most of all grace. The Grace to go through this journey knowing there is something deeper within you, longing to come forth and trusting that it will, in its own way no matter where you are on this journey to health.

Warming winter stews

This cold weather has prompted me to make some warming stews. So last night after my lamb chop bones(no meat on these btw that had been eaten last week) had slow cooked in the crockpot for 24 hours I made lamb stew and used the liquid from the bones as the stewing liquid for the stew itself.   This stew has apple cider in it for the deglazing liquid that I put over the sauted vegetables and then browned saratoga lamb, butternut squash, pearl onions and prunes.  Spices included tumeric, cinnamon, cumin and fresh ginger.  So it has a warming but sweet flavor about it, excellent for the spleen and kidney yang and good for my women who have a history of miscarriage or luteal phase defect, plus you get the nourishment from the bone broth itself.

Take care and enjoy this cool weather but be sure to eat something warming.  I added the collard greens when I reheated it for lunch today.  The greens give us the minerals and help to balance out excess hormones and stagnation in our body and cool down any heat.

The last teleconference call with Dr. Randine Lewis was on the Hypothalmus a part of the brain that is the governor or emotional interrupter of your body, so if you are in discord, the body will set up blockages.  Fear contracts or locks in stress and holds the reproductive system in a static state.  When we want to "Make things Happen" this often releases stress hormones in the body whereas when we are in a state of acceptance there is no need to strategize, you then come from a state of allowing.  This is why you cannot think yourself into better fertility.

Here with computer geek Ismael and finally got my blog opened again.   So I am happy to announce we have several babies being born this spring, one today or soon hopefully, two in April and two in May and two in June and and one in August at least that I can remember.

40 Year Old "Mom to Be" feels lucky....her story...

I am a 40 year old "mom to be" who feels lucky to have found another option other than standard fertility treatments! After 5 IUI's and 3 miscarriages, my fertility specialist told me I was a tough case. Mind you, I had absolutely no medical issues(nor did my husband) that were related to us having trouble conceiving. The only thing my doctor could pin it on, was my "advanced maternal age". I had started seeing him at age 37.
With my first miscarriage, we had gotten pregnant on our own, but lost the baby at 5 weeks. After trying for six months to conceive again...I sought the help of a fertility specialist. I endured a total of 5 IUI's, two of which resulted in pregnancy and subsequent miscarriages. Both miscarriages were around 7 weeks, after seeing an unhealthy heartbeat. The doctor tested the tissue and told me it was a chromosomal abnormality.

After hearing about Carolyn's clinic in an article about Heather Van Nest's(anchor for channel 10) success with Carolyn, I decided I had nothing to lose and I knew time was running out. I live 2 hours away from Tampa and I made a decision after meeting her , I was going to give this a try. I did "everything" she prescribed because I felt either I was going to adhere to her recommendations or I was wasting my time. I took COQ10(which I believe had a lot to do with my success too...read up on it and you will understand why), Vit D supplements, B-12, Alpha Lipoic acid , Prenatal vitamins. In the last month, upon Carolyn's suggestion I added Melatonin, as I also had trouble sleeping. In addition,, I adhered to the herbs she prescribed which involved taking several different ones throughout each part of my cycle in both tea and pill form. I was doubtful at first on the herbs, but when my basal body temperatures evened out and got up and stayed up I knew they too were helping. I did TWICE weekly acupuncture sessions which helped me and her stay on top of my progress and brought the final result as a huge surprize much quicker! I fell asleep each acupuncture session sometimes for an hour or two. I also cut out coffee and alcohol and all processed foods.

I am a journalist for a living so I have a healthy dose of skepticism on all topics...however, after two months, I became pregnant. There was nothing wrong with me, I believe my system was completely off balance and not working in harmony to allow a healthy pregnancy. One reason I realized this, is because after working with Carolyn, I went from having a very short 2 day period to a healthy 4 day period and after that period I became pregnant two weeks later. No amount of fertility drugs had ever changed my periods or helped me achieve cervical fluid. Often with the fertility drugs my ovaries were over-stimulated and very sore so as to produce more eggs but not neccessarily better ones. The whole process was nerve racking but with the acupuncture I felt calmer and happier.

Two days after celebrating my 40th birthday, I took a pregnancy test, and seeing that double line was the best birthday gift I could have ever received! It's always been my lifelong dream to have a family and after so much heartbreak and disappointment, I am smiling from ear to ear and happily awaiting the birth of my healthy baby boy!!
Thank you Carolyn, you will always be in my heart for the gift you have helped me achieve!! My due date is February 11, 2012.